This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from Chapter 13: Your Names Are Written in Heaven.

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In the previous post, we began to look at the record in Luke 10 of Jesus sending out 72 disciples, followed by their triumphant return, and Jesus’ curious command for them not to rejoice that demonic forces have submitted to them. Now, we complete our look at this passage.

Snakes and scorpions

Next, Jesus tells his disciples, “Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing at all will harm you” (Luke 10:19). The “snakes” and “scorpions” should be understood as figurative depictions of evil spirits. With the exception of Paul shaking a viper from his hand in Malta and suffering no ill effects (Acts 28:1-6), there’s no New Testament record of Christian preachers literally treading on reptiles or arachnids – and Paul’s encounter with a snake was far from intentional. 

Rather, Jesus is making it clear he has granted the disciples authority over Satan (“the enemy”) and his minions. While they’re engaged in obedient ministry, the Lord ensures that nothing harms them. This is a specific task of proclaiming the kingdom of God and providing a foretaste of eternal life under the king. By healing the sick and casting out demons, the disciples are showing Christ’s power over Satan, sin, and sin’s consequences. 

The Lord’s promise that no harm will come to the disciples is not a guarantee of their personal health and prosperity. Like the apostles, these disciples no doubt will have to endure rejection, persecution, and death – perhaps violent death. Yet, until they finish the task for which they’re sent, and accomplish what God has foreordained, they should fear no opposition of any kind. 

The words “snakes” and “scorpions” are apt depictions of evil spirits. Satan is first introduced to us in Genesis 3 as “the serpent.” While the Hebrew word for serpent – nachash – bears a hissing sound as it’s pronounced, it better depicts a majestic heavenly being, such as a seraph. Yet, because of his subtlety and malevolence, the term “serpent” tells us what the evil one is like rather than how he appears. We’re reminded of this in Revelation 12:9, where John calls him “the great dragon,” “the ancient serpent,” “the devil and Satan,” and “the one who deceives the whole world.” 

The venomous snakes the Lord sends to punish the Israelites for grumbling against him, and against his servant Moses, force them to plead for relief, which Yahweh provides in the fashioning of a bronze serpent. Those who are bitten may escape death by looking in faith to the serpent Moses has hoisted on a pole, while those who reject this simple provision die in their sin (Num. 21:4-9). Later generations of Israelites burn incense to this bronze snake, prompting King Hezekiah to destroy it (2 Kings 18:4), and warning us against making religious symbols – even symbols of great significance – objects of worship.

Centuries later, in an evening encounter with Nicodemus, Jesus likens himself to the bronze serpent Moses hoisted above the heads of the Israelites (John 3:14). As a symbol of the enemy, the bronze serpent draws the eyes of the afflicted so they may see what’s causing their death, and then plead with God for deliverance. 

In a similar way, Jesus tells Nicodemus the Son of Man is to be lifted up on the cross. There, the one who knew no sin becomes sin for us, so we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor. 5:21). Truly, the ancient serpent strikes the heel of the promised redeemer, but the redeemer crushes the serpent’s head through his sinless life, death, and resurrection. 

Scorpions fare no better in their representation of evil. Fiery serpents and scorpions threaten the Israelites as they wander through the wilderness, and God’s people must trust him for deliverance (Deut. 8:15). Scorpions symbolize enemies (Ezek. 2:6) and the cruelty of kings (1 Kings 12:11, 14). They are unfit for food (Luke 11:12). And they signify the excruciating pain evil spirits released from the abyss may inflict on people in the last days (Rev. 9:1-11). 

There’s no doubt Satan and evil spirits wish to do great harm to the seventy-two disciples Jesus sends as his heralds. But he ensures their safety. And he secures their victory over evil spirits so that Jesus may rightly say it’s the beginning of the end for the prince of demons. 

Don’t rejoice … but rejoice

At last, we come to the key phrase in our study of this passage, in which Jesus tells the exuberant disciples, “However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). The Greek word translated “rejoice” is chairo and is in the present imperative, meaning the disciples should “constantly rejoice in the fact that the great census of God contains their names.” 

Like the Israelites who burn incense to the bronze serpent, the disciples risk making idols of their ministries, and doing so always ends badly. So, Jesus seeks to redirect their attention toward the ultimate prize: everlasting life. 

The Lord grants countless victories to his servants throughout biblical history. Noah and his family are spared the flood. Moses conquers Pharoah and the false gods of Egypt. David fells Goliath with a slingshot and a smooth stone. Enoch and Elijah are taken alive into heaven. Paul restores life to a young man who nods off during one of the apostle’s lengthy sermons and falls to his death from a third-story window. Peter is released from shackles by a visiting angel. And on it goes. But nothing compares to the quintessential work of God in the lives of believing sinners – the gift of everlasting life. This is where Jesus directs the disciples’ attention.

The people from whom the disciples had expelled demons would die in due course, and the sick who had been restored to sound health would eventually get old. Even the stage for these miracles – the sinful and fallen earth – is passing away. So, Jesus sets the disciples’ sights on the eternal, telling them, “[Y]our names are written in heaven.” This is in the Greek perfect tense, pointing to what is permanent and thus irrevocable. 

Jesus isn’t scolding the disciples for celebrating their victories over evil spirits. Rather, he’s inviting them to envision a more glorious gift – the joy of having their names recorded in the book of life. They may continue serving the Lord with complete confidence. No matter what opposition they face or what setbacks they suffer, they should never fear standing before their Savior and being shown that their names are missing from God’s registry of the redeemed. 

The Greek word translated “are written” is engrapho. It means “to inscribe formally and solemnly.” It’s used for the signing of wills, marriage documents, peace treaties, and the enrolling of citizens. The perfect tense with which Luke records the words of Jesus means “stands written.”

This is a teachable moment for us. We may fail the Lord on occasion, or even frequently. Yet, he has written our names in the permanent ink of his own blood, and no sin may obscure it. At the same time, we may scale the heights of spiritual mountaintops. Yet, the insurmountable joy of life everlasting lifts us over the valleys of disappointment and despair, where we soar on eagles’ wings (Isa. 40:31). 

While Jesus makes no specific mention of the book of life in this passage, he affirms the revelations given to Moses, the psalmists, Daniel, Micah, John, and others that God keeps a record of the redeemed. And he wants us to rest assured that our salvation is as secure as God’s golden chain of redemption.

Paul writes about this in his letter to the Romans:

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified (Rom. 8:28-30).

In these few verses, Paul lists five links in a chain that spans from eternity past to eternity future. Put another way, God’s redemptive work embraces time and eternity. The Lord works in our lifetimes to draw us to him (in calling), and to declare us righteous in his sight (in justification). Yet, outside the confines of time, he always knew us and loved us (in foreknowledge). He always determined to adopt us as his children (in predestination). And he always resolved to conform us to the image of his resurrected and glorified Son (in glorification.) 

All five links in the golden chain of redemption are revealed in the past tense – even our future glorification. That’s because, in the mind of God, they were secured on our behalf in eternity past, although they play out in time. This is a matter far above our understanding, and far beyond our wildest dreams. 

So, we should rejoice because our names are written in heaven. As Matthew Henry writes, “Power to become the children of God is to be valued more than a power to work miracles; for we read of those who did in Christ’s name cast out devils, as Judas did, and yet will be disowned by Christ in the great day.”

Eyes fixed on Jesus

Jesus directs his followers to focus on the unseen rather than the visible; on our treasure in heaven rather than our experiences – no matter how amazing – on earth; and on our place before the throne of God rather than our status with men and women. 

The Lord is always more pleased with our faith than our works. Jesus commends those who believe in him, even though they haven’t seen and touched his resurrected body (John 20:29). The Lord declares Abraham righteous for believing in him, even though the father of Israel doesn’t live to see God’s promises fulfilled (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 3:3; Gal. 3:6; Jas. 2:23). And the writer of Hebrews tells us that without faith it’s impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). 

So, in his conversation with the seventy-two disciples, Jesus aims to keep their feet firmly planted on the ground and their eyes fixed on the heavenly realms. There is real work to do in the kingdom of God. And we should rejoice with every spiritual victory. But ultimately, we should keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2), and know that he has secured our place in his kingdom – so much so, that our names are recorded in a heavenly logbook of the redeemed.

Next: Coworkers in the Book of Life: Philippians 4:3